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After days of waiting and a slew of rumors, the Texans and San Diego Chargers just might end up playing their game exactly as scheduled.

Late Thursday evening, San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders said Qualcomm Stadium will be ready for kickoff at 3:05 p.m. Sunday. Sanders left the final decision to the Chargers and the NFL.

Qualcomm Stadium has been used throughout the week as a shelter for thousands who had to evacuate their homes because of the wildfires that have devastated Southern California. The San Diego Union-Tribune reported there were fewer than 400 evacuees still at Qualcomm Stadium on Thursday and that the shelter would close today.

"Should they decide to play in San Diego, the stadium will be ready on Sunday," mayoral spokesman Fred Sainz told the Union-Tribune. "It's their decision to play in San Diego or not."

Texans owner Bob McNair said ideally the teams will play Sunday. However, there still are concerns about the air quality in San Diego because of the wildfires.

"We want to play on Sunday," McNair said Thursday night. "Ultimately, the commissioner (Roger Goodell) will decide where the game's going to be played.

"There are things we're concerned about, things like air quality, which way the wind's blowing, is it healthy or not?"

There were reports Thursday the game would be played Monday night at Qualcomm, which would shorten the amount of time the Texans would have to prepare for their next game at Oakland the following weekend.

"If this game were played Monday night, we wouldn't get back to Houston until early Tuesday morning," McNair said. "That would make it more difficult for our coaches to prepare for our next game."

The Chargers, who have spent the week at the Cardinals' complex in Tempe, Ariz., issued a statement after the city put the decision in the team's hands.

However, the statement was unclear about when the decision would be made and who would make it.

"As Mayor Jerry Sanders said this afternoon, the Chargers remain in regular communication with both the City of San Diego and the National Football League. The Chargers are working with the Mayor's Office and the NFL to ensure that all aspects of this situation are carefully evaluated and that the best possible decision for the people of San Diego is ultimately reached," the statement read.

Because Qualcomm Stadium has been used as an evacuation center, housing as many as 15,000 people, there was some consideration given to moving the game to another venue, including Reliant Stadium.

Texans officials have worked behind the scenes to formulate a plan for hosting the game. But for reasons the Texans understand, city officials in San Diego — and the Chargers — have held out hope the game could be played at Qualcomm.

"If I was them, I would be fighting my hardest to have the game at home as well," Texans wide receiver André Davis said.

In Houston and San Diego, the last few days have been spent waiting on Sanders, whose priority has been the safety of his city's residents. Before the mayor passed the decision to the Chargers, he wanted to make sure the stadium would be ready. Now, the major issue appears to be the air quality.

"I'm sure it's a concern for everybody, but I know the league and San Diego (city officials) have everybody's best interest in mind, and they're trying to do what's best for everybody," Texans coach Gary Kubiak said. "Our job's just to sit here and prepare.

"We're here preparing at home; San Diego's had to leave and go to Arizona to prepare. So it's a tough situation, but as I continue to say, this week we need to think about what's most important, and that's the city and the people. We'll get the football game played somehow, some way."